Exploring The Kalahari & Namibia - Privately Guided Tour (133567),Holiday Packages to Windhoek, Cape Town

Package Overview

Combine the deserts of South Africa & Namibia on this privately guided holiday. Experience the unique wildlife of Kgalagadi, before travelling to the dunes of Sossusvlei & the Namib Desert. See the vast salt pans of Etosha, home to a variety of big cats & track cheetah and leopard at Africat. Ideal for special interests such as photography. English speaking guide, all transfers & game drives included.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Kgalagadi Park • Black Maned Lion • Oryx • Photography
• Kalahari • Namib Desert • Sossusvlei • Twyfelfontein
• Etosha Park

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Day wise Itinerary

Day 1 : Arrival

You will be met at Upington Airport and transferred to your hotel in this small town that acts as the gateway to the vast Kalahari.

Check in and relax under warm blue South African skies.
Day 2 : Kalahari

This morning we travel 3-hours through the vast and arid Kalahari, one of the world’s last unspoilt ecosystems and one of Africa’s greatest wilderness areas. In this land of far horizons, marvel at the gigantic nests of the sociable weaver birds set high in camel thorn trees and stop to examine some of the amazing succulent desert plants which have adapted to survive in such harsh conditions.

The malaria-free Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a visionary 3.7-million hectare joint venture between South African and Botswana. There are several self-catering rest camps, with accommodation in simple but comfortable air-conditioned chalets and tents. Your guide has an allowance to purchase provisions for breakfast, lunch & dinner each day.
Day 3 : Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Today is devoted to game viewing in the vast Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park with your own driver/guide, travelling in his closed air-conditioned vehicle. You can discuss preferred routings and travelling times with him each day, but we recommend setting off early each morning as the camp gates open (05h30 to 06h00 depending on the season), to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day.

Wildlife is plentiful in the red sand dunes and semi-desert of this vast game sanctuary, which is twice the size of the Kruger National Park. Of the many species of mammals and reptiles that have successfully adapted to the harsh desert conditions, the most famous is the black-maned Kalahari lion. Kgalagadi is also renowned for the magnificent oryx, cheetah and leopards - which are more easily seen in the sparse vegetation. You will see some of Africa’s most unusual animals in the Kalahari and many of the “great cats” – lion, cheetah and leopard – but the vegetation does not support elephants, rhino or buffalo.

We should see large herds of antelope including springbok, eland and blue wildebeest. We also hope to see the brown and spotted hyena, black-backed jackals, curious meerkats, yellow mongoose, porcupines, honey badgers, bat-eared foxes, Cape foxes, African wild cats and many other interesting animals. Bird life is also prolific, with over 260 species, including 20 different raptors.

You can spend the full day on the road, or return to your rest camp for breakfast and some relaxation, before setting out again at the time of your choice (usually the late afternoon) for another game drive.

Note: Vehicles are not allowed to drive off-road in any national park in South Africa.
Day 4 : Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

After some final game viewing, today we depart the great Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park through Mata Mata Gate and after completing border formalties enter Nambia.

We travel northwards for 4-hours (picnic lunch included) towards the scrub vegetation and red sands of the vast Kalahari, the largest sand mass on earth. The migratory Bushman people who live here call it the “Soul of the World” and its endless grass plains interspersed with acacia trees provide the only form of survival for a vast amount of wildlife that has survived in this semi-desert environment for thousands of years.

After good rains (end November/early December - although this can vary greatly) you can see hundreds of different wildflowers here.
Day 5 : Namib Desert

Today we travel through ever-changing landscapes to the great Namib Desert, a 5-hour drive through dramatically beautiful desert scenery. The terrain becomes more arid as we travel towards Sossusvlei, whose great mountains of sand are a monument to the extreme forces of nature.

We explore Gondwana Namib Park and Namib Naukluft Park before checking into our lodge. The petrified dunes of the dry riverbed of the Dieprivier are a special attraction, as these are fossilised remnants of an ancient desert that is now overlaid with the sands of the younger Namib.

After the unpredictable desert rains (mid November/mid December), we may be fortunate enough to see the colourful desert flowers that burst forth here and provide a delightful display.
Day 6 : Sossusvlei

Set out early this morning on a 4x4 shared tour into the famous sand dunes at Sossusvlei, as this is the coolest part of the day and the best for photography.

This clay pan is surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world – an endless sea of reddish sand stretching all the way to the distant horizon. These monumental star shaped dunes, some as high as 1,000 ft (325 m), were formed by strong multi-directional winds. The warm tints of sand range in colour from apricot to orange, red and maroon - and contrast vividly with the stark white clay pans at their base. You will be astonished by surreal Deadvlei, surrounded by some of the highest dunes and Sossusvlei, where the mostly dry Tsauchab River abruptly ends.

Take the opportunity to climb one of these dunes, which afford endless vistas across the desert landscape and the sea of sand.

Also visit the narrow gorge of the impressive Sesriem Canyon, with its rock pools fed by the Tsauchab River during the rainy season. The name is derived from the six “rieme” (leather thongs) that early pioneers used to draw water from these pools. Afterwards return to your lodge, with afternoon at leisure.
Day 7 : Swakopmund

Today we drive for 6-hours through the starkly beautiful Gaub and Kuiseb Canyons of the Namib Desert to the beach resort of Swakopmund with its old lighthouse (picnic lunch included).

Swakopmund is situated on the Atlantic Coast where the cold Benguela Current sweeps up from Antarctica, releasing no moisture into the prevailingly onshore winds – hence the very low rainfall and desert conditions. Fog is common along the coast in the early mornings and late afternoons and this is what gives life to the desert-adapted flora and fauna of the region. The cold current is also highly oxygenated, causing it to teem with marine life.

Check into your hotel and relax on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Day 8 : Walvis Bay

This morning transfer 30-minutes to Walvis Bay for a 3-hour Marine Cruise to view the resident school of dolphins and large seal colony at Pelican Point, whilst enjoying oysters and champagne on board.

Marine bird life is abundant and includes pelicans, terns and large flocks of flamingos which live in the shallow waters surrounding the harbour. You may also see migrating whales in season (September to October).

Afternoon at leisure to relax at the beach resort of Swakopmund.
Day 9 : Swakopmund

A full day on the road today as we travel 5.5-hours from Swakopmund across the barren Skeleton Coast, renowned for its many shipwrecks and inhospitable coastline (picnic lunch included). There is small lichen reserve here, where a relatively large variety of these slow growing organisms are protected.

We stop to see the thriving population of seals at Cape Cross Seal Reserve and the many gannets and other sea birds in this area, before continuing to timeless Damaraland - home of the Spitzkoppe and Brandberg Mountains, the highest in Namibia.

Damaraland is one of the least populated and most geologically diverse areas in Africa and home to the rare desert elephant and rhino. Take time to enjoy some of the fascinating rock formations in these vast uninhabited open spaces, where magnificent semi-desert flowers can grow after good rains.
Day 10 : Etosha National Park

Today we travel 4-hours through Damaraland to Etosha National Park, one of the largest and greatest game parks in Africa.

Along the way we detour to see the ancient Petrifed Forest (picnic lunch included).

We continue to Etosha which owes its unique landscape to a vast shallow depression – the Etosha Pan. During the dry season it becomes an expanse of white cracked mud, shimmering with mirages and spiralling dust devils, with its open pans offering magnificent game viewing. Etosha is home to over a hundred different species of mammals including elephant, rhino, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, lion, cheetah and leopard.

Check into your rest camp situated near the southern entrance to the park.
Day 11 : Etosha National Park

Today is devoted to game viewing in the famous Etosha National Park, which surrounds an enormous salt pan that is the size of the Netherlands.

As you will have your own driver/guide, you have the flexibility of discussing preferred routings and travelling times with him each day (with picnic lunch included). However we recommend setting off early each morning as the park gates open (05h30 to 06h00 depending on the season) to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day, with all game drives taken in his vehicle.

A series of waterholes throughout the park guarantees rewarding game viewing, with Etosha being renowned for its vast arrays of plains game and predators, which are more easily seen on these open plains. You can also hope to see springbok, oryx, black-faced impala and the small Damara dik-dik.

Note: Vehicles are not allowed to drive off-road in any national park in Namibia.
Day 12 : Etosha National Park

Enjoy another superb day of game viewing in the great Etosha National Park as we travel through the park to our next rest camp (picnic lunch included).

With over 100 different species of mammals and reptiles in the park, you can hope to see elephant, giraffe, hyena, kudu, warthog, baboon, roan antelope and many other interesting animals. Waterholes along the southern edge of the pan frequently offer rewarding game viewing experiences, including sightings of rare species such as black and white rhino.

Etosha also offers rewarding bird watching, with over 350 different species recorded including migrants that visit during the summer months. At the end of the day we check into our rest camp situated near the eastern gate.
Day 13 : Okonjima

Today we leave Etosha and drive 4-hours southwards through central Namibia to Okonjima.

This is the home of the Africat Foundation dedicated to the preservation of Namibia’s large carnivores, but especially leopard and cheetah. Namibia accounts for 25% of the world’s population of the endangered cheetah, which can be tracked on foot in the rehabilitation area where they roam freely and catch their own prey. Leopards can also be radio-tracked from the game viewing vehicle.

Check in to your lodge and settle in, before enjoying an afternoon game activity in the reserve.
Day 14 : Windhoek

After an early morning game activity in the Africat Reserve, we travel 3-hours to Windhoek.

Check into your hotel and relax under warm blue Namibian skies.
Day 15 : Departure

Transfer to Windhoek Airport for your flight home.

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Inclusions

Hotel
Sightseeing

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Price & Rates

No of pax	Age Limit	Price per pax (Rs)
Adult	Above 12 years	$ 6690 / Adult

* Mentioned prices may vary depending upon date of travel, hotel availability, surge pricing and seasonal rush.

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Package Start From

Windhoek, Namibia, Africa

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Terms & Conditions

Payment Terms & Methods :
* Some Advance Percentage of total booking amount
* Airfare/Transport fare to be paid full at one time in advance.

Cancellation & Refund Policy :
* Upon cancellation, refund will be made after deducting the Retention Amount.
* Retention Amount varies as per the number of days left before your package start date.

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